Fullmetal Alchemist: Family Ties
by YumiMimi
Summary: Young Eloise was always sickly, but one day she seems to get worse. When Ed goes back to Resembool for repairs, the mysterious girl he hears about couldn't be the sister that he had loved and lost to death... Could it? Ah summaries, my mortal enemy. Just read the story instead. Rated T for language and my own paranoia.
1. Prologue

_Yumi here! Yeah, another fanfic. This one's a lot more serious and a lot more cute than the Velociraptor in the closet. I based it off a dream I had a while back. I hope you like it, even though the intro is short. Heh. *sweat-drop* But it's only the intro, to explain a little back story. The next chapters will be longer. I'll try to update as much as possible, but... that might mean once a month._

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"Mom, what's fair about me being sick? You said that… that alch-me was all about… equalness. What did I do to deserve this? What's equal about this?!" a little girl asked slowly. Her mother sighed and hugged the shaking child. "Nothing Eloise, you did nothing. It's all my fault, and I'm sorry baby." She whispered. The child sniffled and began to cough violently, just as the door creaked open, revealing two young boys. The boys slowly entered, each carrying a small bag and a piece of a tea set. The younger one set down the teacup he was carrying and handed his bag to the woman. "Here's the medicine you wanted mom. Is it going to make her better?" He asked in a whisper.

The woman smiled lightly. "Thank you Al. I think it will, but I cannot say for sure." She answered, before busying herself with dosing out the medicine. The older boy quickly poured a cup of tea and handed it to Eloise. "Drink it; it'll make you feel better. And Winry made cookies, if ya want one." He muttered, opening his bag and producing a sugar cookie. Sugar cookies were Eloise's favorite cookies, so it surprised her brother when she refused it, although he knew it shouldn't have. "I can't eat. My tummy feels all icky and I-" Eloise was inturupted by another fit of coughing that raked her small body. Al gasped and pulled her into a hug, trying desperately to hold her steady as she shook.

The woman looked at her ill daughter sadly and took the tea cup that was threatening to fall from her hands. She mixed in some of the medicine that Al had given her and handed it to her other son. "Ed, please make sure she drinks all of this. I'm going to call Ms. Alistar and see if Eli can stay with her." She whispered. She took one last look at her daughter before quietly exiting the room. Ed glowered at the cup of tea gloomily, thinking about how awfull it must taste now. But Eli wouldn't mind. She was used to this, used to always being sick and unable to play with friends or even eat. It was all so damned unfair to her!

Ed had clenched his hands into fists, and it took all he had not to punch the wall and scream at god or whoever ran this world in fury. He was always forced to fear that his baby sister was going to be wrenched from him any day because of her illnesses, which seemed to be climaxing now. She hadn't been able to leave her bed for a week and had recently stopped eating, complaining about her stomach aching too much. Whatever food was forced into her was quickly expelled, along with a good amount of blood.

Eli finally stopped coughing and accepted the tea from her brother. "Eddy, I'm scared. Mom says I have to go back to see Miss Alistar, but what if I don't get better? What if I die and can't see you, or mommy, or Alphie again? I'm scared of leaving you!" she whispered. Her grip on the teacup was turning her knuckles white and a few stray tears splashed into the warm brown liquid.

Ed sighed and crawled into the bed next to her. "You're not going to die, I still haven't taught you how to do alchemy yet." he whispered. Al had released his sister, but was still knealing beside her on the bed. "And there's still so much you haven't done yet! You can't die!" he sobbed.

Eloise was silent while she drank her tea, forcing the bitter tasting liquid down her throat. "I'll try my hardest to stay alive for you. Kay?" she offered after a moment. Both brothers nodded eagerly, willing to do anything to save their sister from even a little bit of suffering. Eli smiled a little. "Will you stay with me tonight? Please?" she begged.

Al hugged his sister. "Of course! We'll stay here as long as you want us to!" he promised. Ed 'tch-ed' and ruffled Eli's blonde hair. "If ya want me too I suppose I could stay." He muttered. Eli's large, mis-matched brown and gold eyes widened and she threw her arms around her eldest brother. "I do! I really want you to stay!" she repeated. Ed blushed and looked away.

"It still sucks that you have to go back to that old woman Alistar. And it's so close to your birthday too! Winry's gonna have a fit." He muttered. "Brother! Don't say that! We owe a lot to Miss Alistar for taking car of Eli!" Al scolded. Eli smiled. "Al is right Eddy, if Miss Alistar hadn't helped me I'd have died as a baby, so don't be rude." She said softly.

Eli pulled the covers over her and her brothers before taking their hands in hers. "Eddy, Alphie, if this is the last time I see you, I don't want to see you sad. I want to know my brothers were happy people, kay?" she whispered. Al hugged her and stifled a sob.

"Don't say that! Of course we'll see you again, even if it means tracking down Miss Alistar or something!" he promised. Ed squeazed Eli's hand comfortingly. "And even if this is the last time, we should have fun and not be gloomy! You can't expect us to be happy if you're not! The rule of equivalent exchange must be obeyed!" he said, forcing his own tears back.

Eli had always been sickly, but never before had she looked this bad. Her hair was lusterless, her skin was ashen and her eyes were dull. It really wasn't hard to imagine that tonite would be her last. It was just so unfair! Eli was only six! Why did everything have to be so hard for her? Ed once again wrestled with his urge to curse god.

"You're right Eddy. I'm sorry. Let's make the most of tonight!" Eli's soft voice broke through Ed's anger and he smiled. "Yeah, let's do that." He whispered. Al merely nodded, silently agreeing to whatever Eli wished for.

The next day the had to rise early. Their mother and Eloise had to catch a train to Miss Alistar's house, and there was only one that bothered to go that way. Eloise and mother piled into the train, leaving Ed and Al with Pinako for the day. Though the boys had forced themselves not to cry in front of their little sister, they broke into sobs as the train rolled away. Ed forced himself to keep waving however, knowing that his sister was looking back.

This was the last memory Ed had of his little sister, the young Eloise Elric.

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_Ed: Dammit! Why are you making my past even worse?!_

_Yumi: Because it will be oh so cute in the future!_

_Al: Poor Eli... *sob*_

_Ed: Ah! You made Al cry! See! You're a bad person!_

_Yumi: . I know. Well, whatever. REVIEW READER! REVIEW! Pwease?_

_Ed & Al: She's insane... *sweat drop*_


	2. Chapter 1: Healing and Learning

_A.N.: Hi hi! I finally got this chapter uploaded! To tell you the truth I've had it sitting around for a week, but got too lazy to post it. That and I had school. But enough about that. This chapter takes place during the 'House of the Waiting Family' episode of the Fullmetal Alchemist anime. I haven't seen the episode in a while so forgive me if I get any details wrong. If anyone seems out of character I'll try and fix it. I hope you enjoy this chapter._

_Disclaimer: I have never claimed to own the wonderful show that is Fullmetal Alchemist. If I did I would not be writing fan fiction, now would I?_

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"There! We're all done!" Winry sighed. She was exhausted from rebuilding and installing Ed's arm, but the triumphant feeling in her gut lent her more than enough energy to go on. Ed merely grimaced at his mechanic. "Jeez! I swear that installation hurt more than last time!" he complained. Winry rolled her eyes. She wasn't in the mood to yell at him quite yet. Ed wiggled his fingers experimentally. "I gotta hand it to ya; you really did a great job for the amount of time you took." He muttered.

Winry grinned proudly. "I am the best mechanic in Resembool! Oh, I just remembered I have a message for you. This girl came looking for you about a week ago. She was pretty insistent that I let you know she was here. She also left something for you… I have it somewhere around here." She laughed awkwardly at the memory of the grave faced stranger.

Ed raised an eyebrow. "Really? Huh. Who was it?" he asked, sounding bored. Most of his mind was focused on testing the joints on his new right arm. Winry shrugged. "It was just a little girl. Said her name was Eloise Alistar or something like that. She asked me where she could find the Elrics, and when I told her that you and Al had been gone for years she looked confused. Then she asked about your mother and I pointed her towards the graveyard." She said, glancing up from a drawer she had been rummaging through to find Ed staring at her, wide-eyed.

"Did you say… Eloise Alistar?" he whispered hoarsely. Win nodded uncertainly, confused by the intensity in his gaze. "What did she look like?" he demanded. Win bit her lip thoughtfully. "Well, she was this tiny thing, didn't look much older than six. She was blonde, and her hair seemed to defy gravity with its random curls. The only part that could claim to be style was the bangs, which she had angled over her right eye. Her left eye was brown, but I have a feeling that she was hiding her other eye for a reason. She also made me promise to tell you she came and give you this." She said slowly as she lifted a delicate charm bracelet out of the drawer she had been scouring.

Ed gasped and yanked the bracelet out of Winry's hand, turning it over in his own hands reverently. He had recognized it immediately, but it seemed so completely unreal. The bracelet only had four charms, one of which had been made by Ed himself. He stared at the tiny silver rose he had transmuted for his sister on that fateful night so many years ago…

{Flashback}

Trisha Elric quietly opened the door to her daughter's bedroom, expecting Eli to either be asleep or coughing. She was bringing more medicated tea to Eli in the hopes it would help her be well for the train ride to Miss Alistar. To her surprise, she found Eli sitting up in her bed, watching wide eyed while her brothers showed off their skill in Alchemy. Trisha smiled at the hint of jealousy that Eli was attempting to hide. "You really should be sleeping Eloise. Oh well, I have a present for you anyways. I was going to give it to you on the train ride tomorrow, but since you're up I guess you can have it now." Trisha produced a simple silver chain from her pocket. An elegant silver star pendant with the letter 'E' engraved on it was fastened to the center.

Eli gazed at the bracelet in awe. "It's so pretty mama! I love it!" she cooed. Trisha laughed gently. "I just wanted you to have something to remember me by while you're staying with Miss Alistar. I'm glad you like it." She mumbled as she slipped the bracelet onto her daughter's slim wrist.

"Hey! No fair! I wanna give Eli something too!" Ed whined. Al silently nodded his agreement. Trisha looked at her sons lovingly and handed them each a small block of silver. "Then why don't you make her something?" she whispered. Al stared at the block, trying to think of something that his sister would like. Ed however, was already sketching out a transmutation circle. He recalled that the last time she had gone outside, Eli had fallen in love with roses.

The solid lump of silver was soon encased in the blue light of alchemy. It didn't take long for the rose to take shape, and once it was complete Ed picked it up to inspect his work. It was beautiful, petals barely beginning to open and blushing a faint pink near the tips of the petals. It was unquestionably the finest thing that Ed had ever transmuted in his short life. Ed smiled and added it to Eli's bracelet.

Eli stared at the charm for a minute before tackling Ed into a hug. "I love it Eddy! It's so pretty! I'll never take it off, not ever!" she promised happily. Her eldest brother blushed and grumbled something about that being a 'stupid promise'. Al however was not as cheerful as his siblings. He still had no idea for a charm, and was beginning to think that he never would.

"I'm sorry Eli, I don't know what to make you…" he sighed. Eli shook her head and wrapped her arms around her depressed brother. "It's okay Al, there's no way I'd ever forget you! You don't need to make me anything!" she cooed, before bursting into another fit of coughing. Al hugged her little body in an attempt to steady her. "Eli! Are you okay?" he squeaked nervously.

Eli finally managed to regain her composure. "Of course I'm okay, I'm with you!" she said cheerily. Inside her mind all was chaos, but she had made a promise to be happy tonight. This was her last night home; she did not want to mess this night up. She would swallow any coughs that tried to break out.

Trisha carefully handed her daughter the cup of tea she had brought. Eli sighed, but drank the disgusting liquid none the less. Al was blushing madly and sketching a transmutation circle. He would make Eli something, even if it wasn't the prettiest charm on the bracelet. A moment later a small silver cat charm had taken form. Al quickly added it to Eli's bracelet, slightly embarrassed at the quality.

It wasn't nearly as pretty as Ed's, nor was it as detailed as their mother's, it was just a simple cat, sitting primly with its tail wrapped around its front legs. But none of this seemed to bother Eli. "It's so cute Alphie! I love it! I love all the charms! You guys are the greatest!" she squealed in delight.

{End Flashback}

Ed fingered the last charm curiously. It looked like an alchemist cross, but had a strange scrap of metal twisted around it. He carefully tugged at the out of place piece of metal and it came away in his hand. Ed frowned at the piece of metal, which could now be seen for what it truly was. Though horribly bent out of shape, there was no question about what it was – an unmistakable letter E.

"Winry, you told the girl that mom was dead?" Ed asked slowly. Win frowned, caught a bit off guard by the question. "Not exactly. I just pointed her towards the graveyard. Thought it would be obvious enough." She grumbled. Ed shook his head and raced from the room, a tingle of excitement racing down his spine.

Was it possible that Eloise was still alive? It was true that no one had ever told the Elric brothers that their sister was dead, but after the tearful parting, months of 'she's too sick for visitors' from their mother and not a single word from either Miss Alistar or Eloise, they had just assumed the worst. So it was completely possible that she hadn't died. As for her looking like a six year old, her illness had probably stunted her growth. (That or she had Ed's short genes) He could barely wait to tell Al about the reappearance of their sister!

Ed quickly grabbed the bundle of Al's 'missing parts' before slipping outside. He found his brother leaning against the house and staring at… something. It really was difficult to figure out where the armor was looking. "Hey Al, you ready?" Ed asked cheerfully as he spread out the scraps of armor next to him. The helmet swung to face Ed with a creak.

"You're cheerful today brother. Shouldn't you be resting though? You did just get your arm reinstalled." Al asked, his young voice echoing from the depths of the armor. Ed waved away the resting suggesting. The three days of rest while Winry built his new arm where more than enough for him. Instead, he clapped his hands together and pressed them to Al's chest plate. Small streaks of blue lightning skidded across the metal, grabbing the scraps and quickly putting them back in their proper places. The whole event took less than a minute, and by the time it was over Al was once again towering over his older brother.

Ed inspected his work and grinned. "So guess what I just found out?" he asked happily. Al looked at his brother in confusion. They had just managed to survive being attacked by a serial killer and were still supposed to be under the guard of Major Armstrong (who was currently chopping a years worth of firewood) so why was Ed so happy? He couldn't have gotten a lead for the philosopher's stone from Winry, so what was it? Al sighed in defeat. He would never understand his brother. "What did you find out brother?" he asked patiently.

Ed's grin widened and he began to chuckle. "Al, you remember Eloise, right?" he didn't bother to wait for a response before continuing, "Well she's not dead! Al, our little sister is still alive, and considering what Winry said, pretty healthy! Extremely healthy for Eli!"

Al stood speechless for a moment. Was it really possible? Could Eli still be alive after all these years? It was true that he was still alive against all odds, but he wasn't truly alive. And you had to be living to be healthy, didn't you? "Y-you're sure she's really alive brother?" he managed to choke out after a while. Ed nodded and produced a small charm bracelet. He held it out for Al to inspect, but Al would have recognized the charms from a mile away. Al gasped and gently took the bracelet, shaking his head as if he couldn't believe this was happening.

"She gave that to Winry just a few days before we got here. She called herself Eloise Alistar and made Winry promise to tell us she had been here. I asked Win, and her description matches Eli. We need to hurry to the cemetery, that's where Win sent her when she asked about mom. She might have left a clue there!" Ed explained quickly. He was already walking towards the cemetery, eager to begin the search for his little sister.

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_Ed: Hey! What do you mean 'got Ed's short genes'?_

_Yumi: Ehehe, nothing. Speaking of short, the chapter came out shorter than I had hoped. It was only 3 and a half pages on word... But oh well. The next chapter is the one I'm looking forward too. It's going to be longer._

_Ed: Don't change the subject! But... just what are you planning?_

_Yumi: Oh, just some innocent fun at a new town!_

_Ed: Why don't I believe you..._

_Yumi: Cause you're smart! I've decided to give you guys a preview of things to come, just because I'm excited. Also remember to review! I'll work faster if I know people like it!_

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_Preview_

Ed felt someone tug at his coat and sighed. He turned around, expecting to see another irritating 'Guardian' or street urchin, only to find mismatched eyes staring up at him. "Eddy?" the girl questioned uncertainly. There was a moment of silence as they stared into each others eyes, each wondering if they were truly the lost sibling. "Yo! Chibi! It's time to bail, we got tin-cans coming!" someone yelled. The girl broke out of her reverie with a gasp and fled, leaving Ed with nothing but surprise and a very confused Alphonse.


	3. Chapter 2: Sage

_Yumi: Hi hi! It's Yumi! Yeah, it took me forever to get out, but hey, it's here. And it's LONG. Hopefully you like it._

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The graveyard was completely silent when the Elric brothers arrived. A light mist that had survived the harsh sun shrouded the area, making each tombstone look ghostly and unnatural. The brothers shared an uneasy glance before walking to their mother's grave. Ed wasn't sure what he was expecting, but he felt that it should be a clue as to where Eloise could be.

Al reached the grave first and gently picked up the bouquet of flowers that had been left there. Each flower was slightly wilted, but had a surprising amount of vitality left in them. A scrap of paper fell from the bouquet, and Ed snatched it up eagerly. The tingle of excitement that had been building within his heart suddenly ignited, for staring back at him from the paper was his little sister.

She was seated next to a gray haired matron and both of them were smiling gently. Al glanced at the picture over Ed's shoulder and gasped. "Brother, she looks so healthy!" he whispered. Ed had to agree with that. Her cheeks had a rosy glow and her eyes seemed to sparkle happily. She looked about 10 in the picture, which was close enough to her true age for Ed to feel certain that it was fairly new.

He flipped the picture over and smiled. A note was scribbled on the back. It had been written in a hurry and was a bit hard to read, but that didn't matter. What mattered was what it said.

"Dear mama, I miss you. I hope you and Miss Alistar are happy in heaven now. Don't worry about me, I'm living with some friends right now. They're really nice. I think you would have liked them. I wish I could have said goodbye one last time. I love you mama. Love, Eloise."

Al sniffled, a wave of sadness engulfing his heart. Eli probably felt lonely. She had probably been looking foreward to being reunited with her family, but now felt abandoned… "Hey Al, we'll find her. Don't worry. Next time she comes here Win'll be ready and we can look for her while we look for the philosopher's stone. Don't cry." Ed said gently.

Al nodded slowly, his armor creaking with the gesture. "Brother, what do you think Eli will do when she learns about us breaking the taboo?" he asked. He didn't want Ed to know, but he was a bit scared of Eli's reaction to him. What f he scared her? It wouldn't be the first time that he scared someone. After all, empty suits of armor rarely walked and talked.

Eli would probably be able to figure out what had happened. She had been living with one of the best practitioners of Alchehistry in the country, but that wouldn't make it any easier. If anything, after living with Miss Alistar and her philosophy of 'the dead should stay dead', Eli might be more angry then pitying.

Ed sighed, inadvertenly breaking Al's train of thought. "She'll forgive us, I think. She always forgave us before. She's still our sister, even if we haven't seen her in years. Besides, even if she had some of the old bat's ideas about the dead, Alistar would have taught her to value family, right? At least that's what I think. Alistar was annoying, but she always pointed out what a wonderful family we were." Ed said slowly.

He began to head back to Winry's house, deep in thought. He hoped Eli would forgive them, for Al's sake. He would be crushed if his little sister hated him, or maybe even worse, feared him. But that was silly, Eli would understand.

Ed slowly descended into silent brooding, leaving Al alone with his thoughts as they made their way back to the house. He had often thought about reuniting with his sister before, but now that it was an actual possibility… But now she was a young woman, not the innocent child she had been. What had she seen while she was away from them? Would she still be the same sickly girl who gaped at her older brothers' alchemic powers, or would she be a healthy young lady, so skilled in alchehistry that she put grown men to shame? Al wished, not for the first time, that he had been able to see Eli grow up.

The brothers' thoughts were interrupted by Armstrong bursting from Winry's house. "There you boys are! General Mustang just called with new orders for you!" he exclaimed. Any sembiance of a good mood in Ed was crushed at the words. "He can't give us a break, can he?" Ed growled. "What's the mission?" Al asked quickly. He didn't need his brother to some how offend the major.

"You will be going to the town of Sage to investigate the disappearance of Nathaniel Diedric, better known as the Swirling Ink Alchemist. He had been passing through Sage on his way back to Central when he began investigating something he referred to as the 'Guardians'. The last form of contact we had with him was when he reported his findings over two weeks ago. Since then there has been no word from him! Mustang has become distressed and has chosen you fine boys to discover the where abouts of the Swirling Ink Alchemist and finish his investigation of the force known as the Guardians." Armstrong revealed dramaticly.

Ed merely rolled his eyes, but Al was intrigued. "Um, what exactly are the Guardians, major?" he asked. Armstrong sighed loudly. "They are supposed to be a private army used to enforce justice for crimes too small for the military to worry about. However, if Diedric's accounts are to be believed, they are also being used to search for and research the Philosopher's Stone." He said grimly.

Ed jerked to attention and gaped at the news. "So that's why General Bastard wanted us for the job." He muttered. Al nodded mutely. If what the major said was right, then there was a possibility that they knew where a Philosopher's Stone was, and they could lead the Elrics right to it! "Right, so tell me, how do we get to Sage?" Ed demanded.

"There is a train departing for t he town early tomorrow morning. Unfortunaltely, I have been ordered back to Central. But do not weep over the loss of my guardianship. I will be with you in spirit always!" the muscle-bound major said, pulling the boys into an uncomfortably tight hug, rivers of tears pouring out of his eyes. Ed and Al sweat-dropped and mumbled a sort of thanks.

The next morning found the boys on a train bound for the small town of Sage. Ed had falled asleep almost instantly, thus leaving Al alone with his thoughts. Why would someone make something like the Guardians, which could be such a good thing, then use it to try to find the Stone? But that reason was still more logical then why they were going to investigate in the first place. Armstrong had hinted that the Guardians were doing something wrong, but what?

After all, one would think the military would be glad that it didn't have to worry about the crimes commited in such a small town. What had the Swirling Ink Alchemist find that compelled him to investigate the guardians? Al sighed and turned his attention to the window.

A while later the train pulled into the station, jarring Ed awake. He stretched and glanced out the window. "Uh, Al, am I seeing things?" he asked. Al chuckled a bit. He had been watching the citizens of Sage go about their daily business and had discovered that the Guardians all dressed in suits of armor. The people of Sage had all seemed to avoid the Guardians where possible, but hadn't seemed to be scared of them. That was encouraging to Al, but didn't help Diedric's strange investigation make sense.

The Elric brothers exited the train, only to be stopped by a Guardian. "Excuse me sirs, I need to see your papers." He said, his voice echoing slightly because of his helmet. Ed glared at him and dug out his State Alchemist pocket watch. "I'm Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist. This is my brother Alphonse." He said gruffly. The guardian glanced over the pocket watch and nodded.

"I see. Well, I'm sure that all of Sage is honored by the prescence of such a… famous State Alchemist. In fact, I'm sure that Mr. Heidreich would like to welcome you himself." He said slowly. Ed raised an eyebrow. "Mr. Heidreich?" he asked. The Guardian nodded. "He is our… leader. He's always interested in meeting our important visitors. Come. I'll show you to our finest hotel, then alert Mr. Heidreich to your arrival." He said evenly, before leading them towards the center of town.

Ed shot a glance at Al, but followed the monotone guardian none the less. All of the citizens flowed around the small group without a second look, which put the Elrics a bit on edge. A small boy darted towards the brothers and tugged at Ed's hand.

"You shouldn't be here! It's bad here, the Guardians'll get ya!" he whispered. Ed glanced at his guide and snorted. "What do you mean?" he asked. The boy shook his head. "I can't tell you. Go away, before it's too late!" he pleaded, before darting back into the crowd.

Ed frowned and turned back to his brother, who had somehow managed to not see the strange scene that had just taken place. "Um, excuse me sir, but what's your name?" Al asked the Guardian. The man paused a moment. "Eric." He answered softly. For that one word, his voice had sounded incredibly young, but it quickly regained its monotone quality. "Here we are, Talia's Tavern and Inn. Now I'll excuse myself." He bowed slightly before pressing through the crowd.

The brothers entered the Tavern warily. So far Sage had been a bit… strange. Ed approached the bar slowly. "Um, excuse me? I'm trying to get a room here." He called. The place was mostly deserted, with only a few customers cradling drinks near the back of the building. At Ed'ss call however, a young red-headed woman rushed downstairs and slid behind the counter.

"Hey there doll, you say ya need a room? Well I got'cha covered there! I'm Talia Mercs, owner here." She said cheerily. Ed grinned a bit. "Yeah, I could use a room and a good meal." He said. Talia winked and leaned closer to him. "Well, I can give ya both. Here's your room key. I'll rustle ya up some food. Put your bags up then sit yourself down. I'll be asking ya all about the outside world, so you best get your strength up!" she said, before slipping into the kitchen.

Al tilted his head a bit. "She seems nice brother. Want me to take the luggage to our room while you wait for Talia to bring your food?" he offered. Ed shrugged and tossed him the key. "Whatever. I'll see what Talia knows about the Guardians." Ed replied. Al nodded and slipt upstairs while Ed claimed a seat by the window.

A crowd of people were slowly weaving they're way through shopping stalls and stationary guardians by the Inn. A small shadow followed them, dodging every Guardian and disappearing into an alley. Ed looked away with a sigh. It was probably just another street urchin after all.

Talia re-emerged from the kitchen carrying a large bowl of stew and a loaf of freshly baked bread. These she sat in front of Ed, before racing back to the kitchen to get him a drink. When she emerged this time, she was carrying a large brown bag as well as the drinks. She left the bag on the bar and handed Ed his glass.

"Here ya are doll. Eat up, I'm going to be bugging you for a while after all. But I'll let ya eat first." She said sweetly. Ed merely smiled and nodded. He was actually dreading the conversation that he was going to be forced into. Talia drifted towards her other customers just as the door opened.

Ed didn't bother to turn away from his food – he wasn't worried about who entered. He listened to the sound of foot steps as the approached the bar, then headed back towards the door. The footsteps paused and Ed felt someone tug at his coat. He turned around, expecting to see another irritating 'Guardian' or street urchin, only to find mismatched eyes staring up at him.

"Eddy?" the girl questioned uncertainly. There was a moment of silence as they stared into each others eyes, each wondering if they were truly the lost sibling. "Yo! Chibi! It's time to bail, we got tin-cans coming!" someone yelled. The girl broke out of her reverie with a gasp and fled, leaving Ed with nothing but surprise and a very confused Alphonse.

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_Yumi: I hope you enjoyed that. I think it's kinda meh, but I suppose it's alright. Whatever. See ya next time!_


	4. Chapter 4: Eloise's Tale

_Yumi: Hi hi! It's Yumi! Well, I haven't posted in a long time... don't hate me! *dodges thrown shoes* I'm sorry! I'm also sorry that this chapter is so short. It's only three pages long... *sigh* Anyway! I hope you enjoy it, and if anyone wants to be my beta reader for this series, please drop a review. If I had a beta reader, I'd get better stuff up faster!_

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Ed stared after the girl, shocked. It couldn't be… There was no possible way that that little girl was his sister! Yet, she looked just like her, from the miss-matched eyes to the golden blond hair. Alphonse approached his brother, uncertainty polluting his thoughts.

"Brother, was that really her? I mean… she looked just like when we saw her last time!" Al whispered. Ed shook his head slowly. "It couldn't be, I mean, the picture we have of her has her looking older than that!" he muttered. He clenched his fist and sprang to his feet. "Come on Al, we have to get to the bottom of this!" he said. Al nodded and the brothers raced out of the Inn, leaving an uncomfortable Talia in their wake.

The Elrics made it outside with enough time to see their prey duck into an alley. As they followed her, they caught glimpses of another girl, this one a brunette. As the chase progressed, the girls were joined by the urchin boy that had talked to Ed earlier.

The urchins kept glancing about them fearfully, though Ed and Al were careful to keep themselves out of sight. Something about letting the urchins see them didn't seem smart, especially since the little boy had been so antsy about the Guardians; Al's appearance wouldn't make them feel very comfortable.

The urchins led the brothers through Sage, often ducking into dark alleys and into porches to hide from the Guardians. Eventually, they made it out of the town. They proceeded to one of the nearby mountains that surrounded Sage, becoming less worried with each step. Upon reaching the base of the mountain, they disappeared into the thick brush.

Ed frowned. Where were these kids going? Was that really Eloise? Was it a good idea to follow the urchins to who knows where? He sighed. There was no way he was turning back now. He glanced at Al before making his way through the brush. After a bit of struggling, he found that his small stature was actually – though he would never admit it – helpful. A small sort of path had been worn through the bushes, and he was just about the height to enjoy it. Awesome.

Once he emerged from the bushes, he found himself in the entrance to a mine. It had obviously not been in use for years, though it was equally evident that someone was here. Al struggled from the bushes and joined his brother at the mine entrance. "Um, brother… is it really a good idea to follow them?" he asked softly. Ed merely shrugged and continued on. The mine shaft started out spacious, but quickly became so short that Al was forced to crawl. Once again Ed's short stature was a plus.

After a little ways the shaft once again widened, this time turning into a cave with multiple smaller tunnels branching off from it. A small fire was roaring merrily in the center of the cave, and the little boy urchin was tending to it. At the sound of the brothers' approach, he looked up. When he spotted Al, he let out a gasp and raced down one of the nearby tunnels. "Hey! Get back here!" Ed yelled after him. He didn't even pause to think as he dashed after the boy.

He emerged into a large cavern. Blankets and other cloths hung from the ceiling, dividing the space into a maze of rooms. However, the area around the tunnel was clear or such walls. A few kids were scattered about the room, but at the sight of Ed they all grouped together. The boy Ed had chased ran through one of the sheets, screaming for someone names "Beth."

Ed stood still for a while, unsure of what to do now. Then someone tackled him from behind. "Eddy! It's you!" a little girl's voice exclaimed. Ed twisted around to view his attacker, and came face to face with the Eloise look a like. "E-Eli?" he stammered.

The little girl nodded proudly and buried her head into her older brother's chest. "I missed you so much Eddy, and then when I went to see you and mommy, you weren't there and Winnie didn't recognize me and I didn't know what to do and and and…" she trailed off with a sniffle. She had been so confused when Winry had treated her like a stranger and even more confused when she was told that her family was no longer there and especially confused when she had found that their house had been burned down! But what did that matter anymore? She had found Eddy. Everything would be okay now.

Ed patted Eloise's head in a state of shock. How was it that she was younger than in the photo he had? There was absolutely no way that she had acquired a philosopher's stone… was there? "Eli, what happened to you? How are you still so… small?" he asked hoarsely. Eli sighed and snuggled deeper into her brother's arms.

"A year ago, I got really sick. Ms. Alistar was afraid I was going to die this time, despite everything she was doing for me. Then one day, she said she knew how to save me. I was so sick I could barely understand her, and I couldn't even move enough to write, so all I could do was watch as she drew an alchemist circle. When she was done, there was a bright light, and then I was in a white place. The only thing that wasn't white was a big, scary gate. I was confused, but Ms. Alistar was there and she told me that everything would be okay. She told me to keep quiet and watch. Then I noticed the White Person. They had been watching us, and until Ms. Alistar approached them they were silent." Eli paused and shivered. It was obvious that this story was difficult for her to recount.

"They told Ms. Alistar that she had to pay something to get what she wanted, and that it was going to be very pricy. She nodded, and said she was giving up her life so I could get better! The White Person looked at her for a while, then laughed and agreed. Then the scary gate opened and swallowed up Ms. Alistar! I screamed, and the White Person turned to me. 'Well, I suppose you'll have to pay something too, since the old bat didn't have much life left. I think I'll take the all the years you lived with Ms. Alistar. Don't worry, you'll still have most of your memories and your 12 year old brain, but you'll look just like you did when you first showed up at her door – healthier, I suppose, but otherwise unchanged.' Then they touched me and I woke up. I felt better, but so small. I couldn't stay in Ms. Alistar's house without Ms. Alistar, so I took all the money I could and I hopped on a train. I couldn't afford to go all the way back home, so I ended up here. The Guardians chased me, and that's when Beth and the rest found me." She said shakily.

Ed stared down at his little sister. Could she really have seen the gate? Did that mean that she didn't need circles to use alchemy? The clanging of metal shook him from his reverie. Al had finally managed to navigate the small tunnel, and was now standing up. Many urchins screamed and retreated further back, with the exception of two older boys.

The boys stood in front of the younger children protectively, though how well they could protect people was debatable. The taller of the two was missing his left hand, while the other, who was clearly Ishvalan, was missing the lower part of his right leg. The Ishvalan was propped up with crutches, but still managed to look somewhat menacing.

At the sight of this obviously hostile situation, Al gulped and looked to Ed for help. Before Ed could offer any advice however, a curtain-wall was flung out of the way and an albino girl strutted into the clearing. She looked to be around Ed's age, and just as dangerous when angry. She glanced at Al and sneered. "What's a Guardian doing here? I thought we were better hidden." She muttered. Her gaze swung to Ed and she snorted. "Of course. I hate killing people, but when they endanger my family… Well, there's really nothing to be done about that. Eloise, come here." She said.

Eli disengaged herself from her older brother and threw herself at the albino. "Don't hurt Eddy sis! He's my brother!" she begged. The albino's eyes widened slightly. "Really…" she mused. Ed rolled his eyes and stood up to his full height (which was, unfortunately, a few inches shorter than the albino). "That's right. I'm Edward Elric, and that's my brother Alphonse. He's no Guardian, so just relax." He drawled. Al nodded vigorously beside his brother.

The albino raised and eyebrow. "Is that right? Then tell me, why is he wearing such a bulky suit of armor in a town that would identify that as a Guardian?" she asked. Her voice was soft, but dangerous. Ed frowned. What was he supposed to tell these freaks? "Um, well… I'm just so clumsy that without the armor I'd get hurt all of the time!" Al stammered. It was obvious that this excuse was not going to be believed.

The albino turned to Eli again. "Do you recocgnize his voice? Do you really have a brother named Alphonse?" she asked softly. Eli gazed at Al for a moment, and if Al still had a heart, it would have stopped. Fear was in her eyes. Eloise was scarred of him. He had feared this, but seeing it was even worse than dreading it. Eloise took a deep breath, her gaze quickly slipping from Al's face.

"No. I don't have a brother named Alphonse. My only brother is Eddy. He's a liar." She said.

* * *

_Yumi: Oh dear! Eli, what are you doing?! Is he really that scary that you block him from your memory, or do you honestly not remember? What did the Gate Keeper DO to you?! We'll have to find out next time!_

_Ed: H-Hey! You can't end it like that!_

_Al: I scare Eli... *sob*_

_Ed: You're making Al cry! Go back and fix it!_

_Yumi: No way! Believe it or not this is actually important to the story. _

_Ed: Bullshi-_

_Yumi: See you next time! Drop a review please! love to everyone who has reviewed!_


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